Great list, Dan. I especially like #6. I forget what a difference it can make to literally hold your head up high, and that changing our body posture can change our feelings. Thank you for the reminder. I also like #14. Give yourself a pat on the back or eat some chocolate. :-)

Excellent list Dan. Everyone can get discouraged. As leaders, the thing to remember is that we need to address what is discouraging us and turn it around. When we are down and discouraged, sharing that with our team can bring them down too. As a leader, we need to use the same techniques to bring our team up with us.

Dan,
A great way to start the day! My favorites are #’s 10 and 16. Sometimes we don’t give ourselves credit for what we’ve learned or achieved, and it’s certainly true that breaking a big challenge into small, actionable steps helps us progress. RE #16, if we aren’t learning we are standing still. The learning experiences truly shape us and make us wiser.

Oh how I could have used this post the other day!!! Several things in the past week have been discouraging. Learning from your setbacks or discouraging times I think will help. Back to my scouting experience…
canceled an outing due to everyone dropping out. At the last minute no less. Discouraging for sure. All the effort and work to put our plans together and others wait till something better came along and dropped.

Points from your post I will be using
LET IT GO. do not get mad do something fun!!!
I can not change others (only myself)
learn to do something new. Teach the boys about making commitments “say yes if you can and no when you can not. Maybe is not good enough”

your other points are great and I will be keeping this one close by
print it out an tack it to the wall.

I enjoyed this post, especially with the “bite sized” nuggets and tips! I find encouragement by reading and exposing myself to stories of people who have used a positive outlook to overcome daunting obstacles. I also receive “Daily Good” each morning (http://www.dailygood.org/) which contains a quote and a story (as well as an action item) designed to convey “news that inspires.” I often use the Daily Good quote as my “anchor” in the work diary I have begun keeping.

As far as encouraging others, one thing I try to do is to remember to share a thought of gratitude as it occurs to me, even for something seemingly minor. I can get caught up waiting to buy the right card, find the right wording, or in some other way await the perfect scenario, but it’s better to just forge ahead with a simple written or spoken, “I noticed when you went out of your way to help so-and-so out on their project the other day.” The smallest of encouragements can mean so much to people.

I find encouragement when environment around is harmonious, people are trustworthy and appreciate your contribution and you have better opportunity to grow morally, monetarily and socially.
I encourage others by understanding their need, listening them carefully, aligning them with their needs, awakening them about their strengths etc.
I would like to add some more ways to overcome discouragement. You need to see the source of discouragement. When source is created one, then you need not to worry. Fight with source if you can stop it, otherwise leave it. If it genuine, share it with your trusted friend. Then try to prove better, instead of just rejecting it.

Hi Dan, great list. We all feel discouragement at times for a host of reasons and that is part of life. I feel discouragement is a great opportunity to reach out to your team and share and connect. We share our small successes with our team but where is it written that we have to handle our discouragement by ourselves? For me the fact that window is open is encouraging in of itself. It takes the fear and despair out of future discouragements knowing there is a cadre of caring folks there ready to listen, support and be kind and help with solutions. “kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.” (Goethe). Best, Al

What a fantastic post, there is no dearth of circustances which makes and force the people to be discouraged but here the true leadership comes which teaches us how to overcome this , with my experiance I can say sometimes we need to laugh at ourselves to win over the situation .

Loved this! Especially when you start out with being inundated with “Be Positive” messages. Sometimes when you are discouraged and you get a message like that you just want to choke somebody – LOL! But seriously, I love #10 – Establish milestones but I got a step further and I communicate them to close family, friends and mentors – they can help me keep track and check up on me like “Did you get ABC done today?” Sometimes enlisting help keeps you motivated especially when your mother wont’ accept any excuses. The other one I like was #13 – Be a friend. My personal facebook has 840 friends, and I’m trying to blog and tweet my website to success. I’m making it a point for the next 27 days to engage (make contact) with someone I haven’t truly connected with in over 3 months. You can’t believe the positive energy and good networking I’m getting out of all of this. People’s lives change so much in just a short time and engaging them let’s you see how they’ve changed or progressed and it motivates you on the changes in your life. Great Read!

Excellent! Been there lately. I loved number one… as I clicked the link, I was thinking “Dan? Discouraged???”. Since I respect you, it was relieving to know I’m not the only one, so your #1 hooked me. Not sure why I need to continually be reminded that I’m not the only one. :-)

Dan, I appreciate the honesty in acknowledging that everyone gets discouraged from time to time. The list has some great reminders in dealing productively with discouragement. Allow me to add mine.

I call it my 48 hour rule. When I feel “down”, a scientific term which includes discouragement, I allow myself no longer than 48 hours to remain there. IF, after two days, I awake to the same feeling, I start the process of change. This can include one or more of the following:
1. When someone would say, “How are you?” I would lie and say, “I’m doing GREAT!” Falling under, “Fake till you make it”, this action alone gave me more energy. I intentionally shifted my language to one that was more optimistic, more energy.
2. Focused on what was right.
3. Made sure to get exercise.
4. Seek out my favorite person/people to be around that gave me energy.
5. Journal.
6. Focus on letting go – particularly if it included anger.
7. Choose an activity(ies) that I enjoyed.
8. Make amends with someone when applicable.

I think what surprised me was that without changing any of the surrounding circumstances, nor my reaction, I found that intentionally making some changes that involved more positive ways of thinking/doing turned my overall “down” feeling around in a relatively short amount of time (generally within a day). I should add that aspects of reflection to understand the origin for my original feelings were always present in the first 48 hours.

The 48 hour rule was purely arbitrary. It emerged because I really didn’t want to be around myself for more than two days in the “down” state.

I have also found that sometimes there are just periods when you feel more discouraged, down, blah, than others. That’s okay. It’s just knowing where the limits are of what’s normal and what’s unproductive.

Dear Dan.
What a wonderful post…… I am sure number of people who must have read this post will be actually facing the trauma of discouragement & the given list will going to provide them raise of hope to combat the discouragement…… there is need to focus on the issue that in an unhealthy working environment discouragement becomes an integral part of the practice. special attention need to be given on the young crop for whom the discouragement is acting as a devil which not only stops their growth but in several cases end their LIFE. Because the side effect of discouragement is Disastrous as it not only affect you internally ( mentally) but also externally ( physical health).
I find point #5,#9 effective because even I use the same & point #13 is also very useful the only care one need to take is selecting the right person.

Great list Dan, thanks.
One of the reasons it’s good is that your suggestions are practical.
For me… the best way is by giving. Take the attention away from yourself.
Another idea #23? File this list away carefully and have a peek at it when you need some encouragement, :-)
Kind regards, Gary.

Great list, and very encouraging to continue the hard work and the persistant focus. discouragement settles in when people become overwhelmed with everyday small issues, which distracts. they enter into a whirepool of a fight of tit for tat, and lose the big picture.
I think all of them boil down to organisation, of time, resources, relationships. this will then effect the new ideas, learning process, enevitably giving you a new challenge.
Thanks for sharing!